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Solution to a Slow Schedule

Power UP THIS WEEK with this SUPER EASY SOLUTION to the Winter Practice Doldrums!!

Ok, I know. It’s cold out and your patient schedule is as cold as the temperatures outside. How to solve this lull in business and get back to loving what you do… helping people who need you! Here’s an absolutely successful solution that can yield 50x the investment! (Ours literally paid for itself in the first month and then brought in 50x what we paid…just in the first year!) The sandwich board.

People generally like sandwich board signs because they’re nostalgic which provides a sense of comfort in a world gone “web wild” and electronic versus the old days of personal, written text on a tangible surface. Additionally, it says you’re likely a local business owner and is a very personal statement of who you are and what your business is about. It might not be the most elegant communication tool, but it IS very effective, IF and ONLY IF you do it right. Here’s a few tips that can make all the difference.

Color – Ever think about why stop signs are red and yield signs are yellow? These are two colors which are very easy to see against most backgrounds and immediately impact us as humans with a visual emphasis to our physiology. A picture’s worth a thousand words, right? That’s because we are visually oriented. Especially in winter, when everything is dark and grey, pick red and or yellow. Yellow in particular stands out against a grey winter background and has the additional benefit of making us feel sunshiny and happy…think summer sun and flowers!!

Size – Check your local laws about size and then get the largest sign allowed. It’s best if the top comes to waist or slight higher to more easily catch your eyes. Make sure to check into how much of the sidewalk the sign can encompass and that there is plenty of room for people to pass by. There’s nothing worse than having the unintended consequence of irritating the very people you want to intrigue!

Center translucent panel for customized inserts – Make sure to request a center panel with a side entrance so that you can change it out every week to announce events, presentations, etc. This is WHERE THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS!!

NEVER advertise, like we did, “FREE Health Screening.” This is far too bland and although ours was quite successful, people have changed and I know you can be more successful! People are far more jaded with marketing and want to see an exact picture of themselves in your marketing or you’ll never see them in your practice.

Personalize and be SPECIFIC with your message – Far better, is to have the insert read with a very specific symptom and personalize the message, as if speaking to only one person, as in, “Solve Your Low Back Pain Today”. That way, as the person with low back pain walks by, they think, “wow, that’s me and I would like to start solving it today!” Most people realize that it won’t be actually solved that day, but that they would be taking the first step to actually reaching that goal.

GET A MOVE ON! That is, move the sign. Don’t make the mistake of placing it in the same spot every day. After a few days, especially weeks, of people passing by, they get used to it and will no longer “see” it. So, keep them guessing. We frequently moved ours to the end of the block and had inserts that included an arrow pointing the direction to our practice.

OK! So, ready to call and get yours?? Don’t wait! Take action today and be sure to let us know how it’s going! I would love to hear about the first patient that walked in your doors and asked about your services!!

P.S. ALWAYS ask every new patient how they found out about you! This is pure gold. You MUST know what marketing is and isn’t working. Typically 80% of your revenue is only from 20% of what you do, so make sure to identify the 80% and do MORE of it!! and don’t waste your time and money on the 20%!!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”